“A vibe-synchronous soul-unit travelling the planet, honing their craft, absorbing the sights, sounds and feels from cultures across the globe, processing them through the Khruangbin filter and gifting the result back…with all the world….. “

If you haven’t yet heard what Texan trio, Khruangbin sound like, the above description alone is enough to entice you in! Consisting of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums, Khruangbin are a three-piece whose sound is created from an interesting fusion of world music, soul, dub and psychedelia. Their debut album, The Universe Smiles Upon You, was released at the end of 2015 and was heavily influenced by the eclectic sounds of 60’s and 70’s Thai music. The band’s forthcoming new record is no exception to this experimental rule, taking inspiration from South East Asia once more, whilst adding the undiscovered funk and soul of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, particularly Iran.

Titled Con Todo El Mundo, Khruangbin’s new LP translates into how much do you love me and is in part dedicated to Laura Lee’s Mexican-American grandfather who was a formative influence on the bassist. Explaining the title further, Laura states how, “My grandpa would always ask me ‘Cómo me quieres?’ (how much do you love me?) And he’d only ever accept one response: ‘Con todo el mundo’ (with all the world). He created his own world to live in. Khruangbin is the world we’ve created.”

The album’s first single Maria También gets straight down to business, boldly opening with sharp, crisp drums, a weaving guitar melody and smooth punctuated bass. The textures are gripping, the sound is bracing and I love this exotic funk sound! Check it out above and pre-order Khruangbin’s new LP from here.